You are here

Book Bites: Future Faves

Submitted by Blue Willow Con... on Sun, 05/03/2020 - 9:13pm

Friends, you’ve probably heard that shops like ours have the go-ahead to reopen. We’re not quite there yet, though. For one thing, our shelves are dusty, all the tables are covered with partial orders, and half the store is devoted to packing needs. We like to joke that the shop doesn’t have her makeup on. She’s looked cuter. And at the end of the day, our priorities are everyone’s health and safety. For now, we have decided to keep the door shut for at least another week. We promise that when we’re ready, we will welcome you inside with more love than you can imagine. Until then, it's a wave through the window and your books waiting for you on the porch. And in the meantime, we’re highlighting a few new releases from some big names below—whether you’re looking for a picture book, middle grade, YA, or a juicy novel, we think you’ll find something you’ll love.

Ages 4-8

Iris LOVES to push elevator buttons, but—unfortunately—so does her little brother, who takes all of her parents' attention. When she finds a magic elevator button that takes her to far off fantastical lands, she must decide whether or not to share the secret. Lê and Santat have joined forces to again create a magical book that celebrates siblings and adventure.
—Ann

READ because this duo is creating some truly dazzling work.PASS if you don’t mind missing out on a future classic.Order your copy on our website.

Ages 8-12

Gruff-but-lovable Bob the dog picks up the narrator’s reins in this follow-up to Newbery winner The One and Only Ivan. He’s adjusting to his newfound status as a family dog after years on his own, and looks forward to trips to the zoo to visit with old friends Ivan and Ruby. When a bad storm throws his world into chaos, Bob finds bravery he never knew he had in order to rescue a friend he thought was lost forever. Themes of courage, friendship, and forgiveness are balanced perfectly against Bob’s wry observations and self-deprecating wit. Readers in grades three through six—and anyone who loved Ivan—will cherish more time spent with these characters. Highly recommended.
—Noah

READ because this follow-up to the Newbery-winning Ivan is just as good as its predecessor. Oh, and Danny Devito narrates the audiobook.PASS if you don’t like dogs or laughing or friendship or long-awaited sequels to universally loved classics, you MONSTER.Order your copy on our website.

This modern take on old-fashioned slice-of-life stories follows positive-thinking fourth-grader Ryan Hart throughout the year as she struggles to discover her talent, master public speaking, be a leader, enjoy school and friends, and, even when things don’t work out perfectly, find sunshine! Readers 8-10 years old will identify with Ryan’s trials, worries, stumbles, and successes. I smiled all the way through this.
—Jennifer

READ because Ryan Hart is this generation’s Ramona Quimby.PASS if you don’t like sunshine or heartwarming stories or precocious protagonists..?Order your copy on our website.

Ages 14 & Up

When a plane bound for the Dominican Republic crashes shortly after takeoff, two girls grieve the loss of their father. Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her aunt and dreams of studying in New York City, where her father lives. Yahaira, a skilled chess player, lives in New York with her parents. Unbeknownst to them, they share a father who maintained two separate families. Camino and Yahaira struggle to understand the complicated man they knew as their father while beginning to develop a familial bond of their own. Elizabeth Acevedo returns to poetry as she takes a close look at grief, betrayal, and family.
—Ann

READ because this stunning novel from one of our best storytellers will change your life.PASS if you need a moment before diving into a story about grief. But read it when you’re ready.Order your copy on our website.

Adult Fiction

All Adults Here centers around Astrid Strick, a widow who lives in a tight-knit community where two of her three adult children also live. Although circumstances could present close, supportive ties among this family, the reality is that Astrid has difficulty connecting to any of her kids—her daughter is a mess and seems might never grow up; her oldest son strives to attain a certain confusing stature of his own making; and her youngest son, who lives in New York, appears to be in a mindless, wandering haze which permeates his own life as well as his daughter’s. The story takes off when the aforementioned granddaughter comes to live with Astrid after being involved in some type of squabble at her previous school. This new challenge, as well as a past friend getting unexpectedly run over by a bus, sets Astrid’s life romping forward, forcing her to examine her past mistakes and to proclaim her new love interest to her family. A series of touching, funny, sexy, and real revelations by a diverse cast of characters unfold as each one deals with their own case of growing pains.
—Liz

READ for the best story yet from fantastic contemporary novelist-not-to-miss, Emma Straub.PASS if you’re crossing the street right now. But pick it up when you’re done.Order your copy on our website.

Adult Nonfiction

Deborah Madison is the author of four award-winning vegetarian cookbooks and was the original chef at the famed Greens Restaurant in San Francisco. In this memoir, she shares stories from her childhood in California to her twenty years lived in a Buddhist monastery and beyond and her life experiences that paralleled the reshaping of the culinary world towards more fresh, diverse, vegetable-forward foods.
—Jennifer K.

READ to enjoy this inspired journey from a lauded West Coast chef.PASS if you won’t eat your greens under any circumstances—not even unique, literary, lauded ones.Order your copy on our website.